Track for hay carriers and elevators



(No Model.)

- J. E. PORTER. V TRAGK FOR HAY CARRIERS AND ELEVATORS.

Patented Dec. '13, 1892 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

JOSEPH E. PORTER, or OTTAWA, ILLINOIS.

TRACK FOR HAY CARRIERS AND ELEVATORS] SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 487,966, dated December 13, 1892.

Application filed November 4, 1892. Serial No; 450,983. (No model) .To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH E. PORTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ottawa, in the county of La Salle and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tracks for Hay Carriers and Elevators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to hay carriers and elevators; and it consists in a novel construction of track; and its objects are to provide a metallic track which is adapted to be suspended and which affords a head at its top and a head at its bottom, a vertical web proper, and intermediate horizontal flanges, the top head serving as a means whereby to connect the suspending supporting devices, the bottom head as a means whereby to attach a knocker or stop-block, and the intermediate flanges for the wheels of the carrier to run upon, as will be hereinafter described, the peculiar form of the track admitting of the suspending devices and the stop-block being arranged so as not to have said suspending devices interfere with the adjustment along the track of the stop-block, as necessity may require. By my invention the track is rendered rigid or firm and strong and still is light and not very costly, as only a small amount of metal is required in its manufacture. This benefit is due to the fact that the rail of the track has its web proper increased in depth and midway of its length is strengthened by the horizontal flanges which are provided as supports for the wheels of the carrier to run upon, and said flanges, in conjunction with the upper and lowerheads, stiifening the track. The web proper, by reason of the intermediate flanges, is divided into two short web portions, and below the flanges the stop-block or knocker can be applied on the lower head, so as to hang and bear firmly shoulders of the said head.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of myimproved haycarrier. track. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same with a stop-block or knocker applied to it and also showing suspending supports or hooks. Fig. 3 is a transverse section in the line a; cc of Fig. 2.

A in the drawings represents the metallic track, of which A is the upper vertical web portion, and B the head thereof for connecting suspending supporting means, as A and O G are the horizontal flanges at the base of the web portion A, said flanges serving as the means for the wheels 01 of the carrier H to run upon. A track very similar to that formed by the parts A, B, and O is common. This track Ihave improved by extending from the flanges'O C an additional web portion D and terminating the same in a head E, as represented in the drawings. The two web portions are in the same vertical plane and form the web proper, and consequently the heads B and E are in the same vertical plane. By constructing the track with two web portions and two heads its stiffness and strength are greatly enhanced, and in addition thereto provision is made by means of the upper head for connecting suitable suspending means, as A and by the lower head for applying asuitable stop-block or knocker F to the track A in such a manner that the said block orv knocker can be slid on the lower head and secured by a clamping action at any desired point, such action being caused by set-screws b 1) bearing against the lower head, which avoids weakening the track by punching holes through it.

It will be readily seen that notwithstanding the fact that the depth of the web portions increases the depth of the track the heads and flanges stiffen it sufficiently to avoid any inconvenience therefrom; also, that the arrangement and construction of the lower head admit of the stop-block F being moved along to any desired point on the track without any interference from the upper supports or connections of the upper head.

I make no claim in this application for ahaycarrier track comprising an upper T-head, a lower T-head, intermediate horizontal flanges for the wheels of the carrier to travel upon, in combination with suspending means attached to the upperT-head and a stop-block orknocker clasped upon the lower T-head and fastened thereto by means of set-screws and made adjustable to any desired position, and such adjustment being effected, by reason of the form of the track, without any interference from the upper supports, as the same is claimed in my application, Serial No. 432,491, filed May 10, 1892. Neither do I make any claim in this application fora stop-block or knocker for a hay-carrier track constructed with upwardly and inwardly curved flanges and adapted to he slipped upon the lower head of the track and fastened in position bybinding set-screws bearing against the under side of the track, in combination with the track having an upper T-head, a lower head, a vertical web, and intermediate flanges for the wheels of the carrier to run upon, and with suspend- 

